Family Outing to "Terra" by Orly Genger
My family and I had a wonderful time taking an impromptu stop downtown to visit this larger than life rope sculpture in the heart of Oklahoma City. The terra cotta color, of which its name is inspired, is vibrant and adds a contrast to the lush greenery that it winds through.
Sunny days and perfect weather have been few and far between, so we jumped on the opportunity to get out and explore something new outdoors. Our little one had a great time sitting on the piles of rope - observing and feeling its texture. I'm so glad we can take him outside and enjoy the warmer weather!
It's just amazing that this is 1.4 million feet of recycled lobster-fishing rope painted with 350 gallons of terra cotta colored paint. The renowned New York based artist, Orly Genger, was inspired by Oklahoma's red dirt and brick walls when deciding on what color to paint it. Oklahoma sure has a lot of that! It's incredible how much rope this was and how much work was put into this.
Seeing the landscape of vibrant colors of spring and summer after a long winter is so rewarding and fulfilling. It makes me take on a greater appreciation for the colors that we tend to overlook.
"The earth laughs in flowers." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
My guys and their smiles. Love them! I can't wait to take my oldest son here - he would enjoy this so much. This is a perfect spot to let your kids run around for hours!
I was impressed with this sculpture - it inspires me to discover more of Oklahoma's art scene. There's a thriving art community here, and I hope to experience more of what makes this place unique.
Here's a snippet of information about the artist and her work:
“Made of 1.4 million feet of recycled lobster-fishing rope, and painted with 350 gallons of terra cotta colored paint, “Terra” will weave its way through the center section of Campbell Park, located at NW 11th and Broadway, just north of downtown Oklahoma City. The installation opens Monday, October 20, 2014, and runs through October, 2015.
“When visiting Oklahoma I was taken by the vastness of the open landscape and envisioned a line that would travel in a continual motion winding through the patch of land on which the work sits,” said Genger. The artist said the term “red dirt” inspired her color choice, “which relates both to the clay-like nature of the earth, and to the bricks with which we build walls.”
Dubbed the “rope wrangler,” Genger hand knits and shapes hundreds of miles of discarded lobster rope into massive sculptures that traverse the space and incorporates the piece into the landscape. Her art encourages visitors to explore the terrain in a new way and interact with the larger-than-life pieces.
Since 2005, Genger has completed several large-scale installations featuring colorful masses of hand-knotted rope. These include Red, Yellow and Blue in Madison Square Park, New York City and deCordova Sculpture Park in Boston and most recently, Current”
See her other renowned sculptures:
Did you enjoy this post? I look forward to sharing more of my discoveries with you. There's always something beautiful out there to experience!